The present invention relates to a friction stir welding apparatus, and more particularly relates to a friction stir welding apparatus that can weld a processing target member accurately along a predetermined processing direction.
In recent years, there has been proposed a friction stir welding apparatus that performs friction stirs on a predetermined portion to be welded in a processing target component formed by a plurality of metal plates such as aluminum plates by a probe rotating at a high speed to weld the metal plates with each other. Even in a strength component of a movable body such as an automobile, a configuration having a welding portion welded by a friction stir welding apparatus has been realized.
In such a friction stir welding apparatus, the probe and the processing target component need to be moved relative to each other to weld a predetermined portion to be welded accurately. Accordingly, it is important to move the probe and the processing target component relative to each other accurately without unnecessarily causing relative displacement therebetween.
Under such circumstances, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2011-206786 discloses a friction stir welding tool in which a friction stirring rotor 10 is fitted to a hole 20A of a friction stirring stator 20 having guide portions 21 and 22 so that a friction stirring probe 11 is exposed. More specifically, there is disclosed such a configuration in which when a pair of members to be welded S1 is to be friction stir welded, the friction stir welding tool is moved while press-fitting the friction stirring probe 11 toward a contact portion of the members to be welded S1 and stirring the friction stirring probe 11, in a state where the guide portions 21 and 22 of the friction stirring stator 20 are brought into contact with the members to be welded S1 fixed by using a jig, to weld the contact portion, thereby obtaining a welded member S3.